Drawing Commands

The tools menu and toolbar list the drawing commands available. Each command prompts you for the next step on the status bar. Just follow the instructions.

Selecting a Start or End Point

Most of the drawing commands start by asking you to select a starting point. This might be the starting corner of the Zoom Window command or the beginning of a line. Just move the cursor to the desired position and left click (press and release the left mouse button one time) the mouse. Notice that the coordinates of the cursor are always displayed on the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

Entering Exact Values

Whether you are drawing a line, inserting a fillet or just adding text, sometimes you need to enter an exact value. To do this, hold down the shift key and left click the mouse to bring up the appropriate dialog box, enter the values you want and choose OK. The program will redraw the object using the entered values and advance you to the next step of the command.

Let's say that you are drawing a line that you want to be exactly 24 feet due east. Left click the start point of the line, then hold down the Shift key and left click again. In the Line dialog box, enter the distance and direction, then choose OK. The program will draw the line and prompt you to enter the next line segment.

Ortho Mode

To draw an object or part of an object exactly North-South or East-West, first move the cursor in the desired direction, then hold down the Ctrl key to put Drawing View in Ortho mode and continue dragging the mouse to the desired position. TPC holds the X or Y coordinate of the previous node. You will use this most often with the Line and Polyline commands.

Object Snap Mode

In Object Snap Mode the cursor automatically snaps to the nearest object when drawing objects like lines and arcs. When the cursor gets close to an existing drawing object, TPC computes the closest snap location for that object and draws a snap marker (usually a small circle) around the objects snap points.

Toggle object snap on/off with the button in the Mode Toolbar.

Nested Commands

You can run other commands in the middle of the current command. This is called nesting commands.

Ending a Command

Some commands have a limited number of steps. The Draw Circle command, for instance, asks you to select an insert point and a radius, then draws the circle. Some commands, like Draw Polyline, which allows you to enter any number of vertices, have an unlimited number of steps. To end a command like this, right click the mouse or press Enter.

Repeating a Command

Some commands, like Copy and Insert Block, can be repeated any number of times. Look for the [Repeat] option in the command prompt or press the repeat button in
the Mode toolbar..